


Strength Comes from Hope and Love

by RaySimp



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Shmi Skywalker Lives, Slavery, Tagging as I go, Tatooine Slave Culture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaySimp/pseuds/RaySimp
Summary: This is a deviation of a classic love story that begins with attempted assassination, a Kamonian dart, and some ridiculous flirting. But we pick up a little bit later, after a bad dream, in a marketplace on the planet where the sand is coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere…
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Shmi Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to beta this fic (or my ideas for this universe) please comment down below or go to my tumblr @rayewriting or @rayesimp!

Anakin never wanted to be back here. Never.

He’s acclimated to multiple environments since he was freed from the dustball that is Tatooine. But he feels in the Force that this is where he needs to be. Doesn’t mean he has to like though.

"Wait right there," Anakin tells the droid as Padmé begins her descent from the carriage. After receiving a confirmation noise in return, he walks to the place where he spent half his life, Watto's junkshop.

" _Da wanga_ ," exclaims the Toydarian to the droid, causing it to run off. _(Not that one)_

Walking up to his former owner— not master, Anakin greets in Huttese, " _Chut-chut, Watto. Ding mi chasa hopa_." _(Excuse me, Watto. Let me help you with that.)_

When Anakin brings up the rusted droid head, Watto suspiciously begins asking in husky Huttese, " _Ke booda? Yo baan pee hota. No wega mi condorta_ ," then glancing at the young man's belt the being begins to panic, " _Kin chasa du_ Jedi. _No bata tu tu_." In his panic, Watto hits himself with his tool, forcing a grunt from his throat. _(What? I don't know you. What can I do for you? You look like a Jedi. Whatever it is, I didn't do it.)_

“ _Mi boska di_ Shmi Skywalker.” _(I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker.)_

Taking a long pause, Watto stares at Anakin before asking incredulously in Basic, "Ani? Little Ani?" then the being thinks himself out of it with a sigh. Finally, Anakin places the fixed droid head down and Watto happily begins flying and saying, "You are Ani! It is you!"

After a minute of surprised ramblings, Anakin forces the conversation back on track with a short, "My mother."

"Oh, yeah. Shmi. Uh… she's not mine-a no more-a. I sold her."

"You sold her?"

"Years ago. Sorry Ani, but you know business is business. After doing some, uh, business, I was given two more slaves, and Shmi was getting old. So, yeah, I sold her to a moisture farmer named, uh, Lars. At least I think it was Lars. Believe it or not, I heard he freed her and married her! Can ya beat that, eh? Yeah."

Leaning in menacingly, Anakin asks, "Do you know where they are now?"

After shaking his head, the Toydarian explains, "A long way from here, but I don't know the details, you know I don't keep those kinds of records. I'll tell you what, I think I might know someone who does, but it will cost you."

Anakin's anger was making his blood boil, but after forcing it down in his chest he begins to bargain, "What do you want, Watto?"

"I want you to teach my newer, uh, acquired help to fix things, your mother tried but… they still make mistakes and ruin some of my merchandise," as Anakin begins to think this over, Watto quickly spits out, "They are the ones who know where your mother is. They can take you there, and along the way, you can impart some of your skill upon them, yes?"

After a few moments and peeking at Padmé, Anakin finally relents, "I can do that, where are they? We need to leave quickly."

"Alright! They live in your old hut—house! In the slaves' quarters, you remember, don't ya, Ani?" Watto says, "I would take you there myself, but—" as he begins to fly higher before he gets interrupted.

A very young boy tripping over a few spare parts Watto threw, falls into Padmé's legs, causing Padmé to grasp his threadbare shirt very quickly so he is not injured. The young boy giggles, but quickly stops when Watto grunts, "What do you think you are doing, boy? This is a customer! Don't touch her! Where is your mother?"

Padmé frowns at the Toydarian's rough handling but is hesitant to say anything, in case she makes it worse. The young boy looks at Watto and speaks quietly, "Mama comin'. Got stopped."

While Watto asks the boy more questions, Padmé quirks her brow at Anakin silently worrying about the boy's mother. Anakin shakes his head, knowing that on Tatoonie if you injure a slave you have to pay for them and people in this district do not make enough for buying more slaves, usually they are traded, not bought.

After a couple more minutes, a young woman with pinned up red hair walks to Watto's side. She is carrying the body of the droid that Anakin finished, and silently hands over the droid for inspection. Instead of looking at the droid, Watto tosses it on the ground then turning to the woman, "What happened to you? Actually, I don't care. Lorni, do you remember where Shmi said she was moving to?"

The woman, Lorni, glances at Anakin and Padmé before reaching for her son, and says in a hoarse voice, "Yes, I do. Close to Mos Eisley, maybe."

Watto nods, "Good, you are going to take these two over to her house, and on the way there, Ani, here, will teach you how to make droids right. So maybe you can stop wrecking my property! Now, hurry up and get out of here, Mos Eisley is far and you need to be back three days from now."

"Yes sir," the woman says with a nod of her head, placing her son on her hip. Then she turns towards Anakin and Padmé. "Please follow me, we will need supplies before we can start the trip. Ready to go, Torin?"

As the boy nods, Anakin says, "Thank you, we should depart quickly," then to Padmé, "Please enter the carriage, Milady, we should arrive at the house shortly."

"Mama! Look! Pull-y droid!" says Torin, pointing excitedly at the carriage that Padmé was getting into.

"Would he like a ride?" Padmé asks Lorni once she is settled.

Anakin's and Lorni's eyes slightly widen and lips begin to protest when Torin interjects, "Slaves no ride. Only frees do. Thank you." Then he begins to squirm till Lorni places him on his feet. "But Mama gives rides too! More fun than pull-y droids!"

A small smile spreads across Lorni face at her son's words then she kneels in front of him, "Oh? How about a ride right now then?"

Picking up Torin, she places him on her shoulders, making him squeal and clap. "Yay, yay, yay!"

Padmé glances at Anakin, catching the sad smile, as the boy's laughter joins the other noises of the market and wonder if Anakin is seeing another mother and son instead.

Once the group had arrived at the hut, Lorni puts Torin down on his small feet, opens the door, and waves everyone inside. “Torin, get your small kit and bring it down, I need it for our trip,” Lorni instructs to her son gently patting his back as he passes by, “We don’t have much, but can I offer something to drink? It’s a few hours trip to Mos Eisley and Tatooine is quite dry.” At the young people’s refusal, Lorni throws a blanket over a pile of machinery scraps and sighs, “Okay, suit yourselves, I need a few things upstairs, I’ll be right back,” and follows her son up the stairs.

“It’s exactly how I remember it, the last time I was here,” Padmé whispers to herself as she walks by the couch.

Anakin nods. “Everything here _is_ the same. The sofa, beds, clothes are what my mother and I had while we were here. This may be a house to a slave, but since a slave doesn’t own anything, this is considered the slave owner’s property.” Padmé’s eyes and mouth tighten as Anakin continues, “In fact, I remember the shirt Torin is wearing, Watto gave my mother a few credits to sew the shirt together from scrap material an off-worlder was selling, the material was the soft and I think it was the only shirt that didn’t give me a rash after a few days. Watto must have kept it or something.”

After Anakin finished his musing, Lorni and Torin with two bags. As Lorni began to pack the sparse food and clothing the house held in the slightly larger bag, and a small medkit stored in the smaller one.

As they are entering the ship, Torin begins to ask in an awed whisper, eyes darting around everywhere "Where we goin'?"

Anakin turns his head towards Lorni with a raised eyebrow. Lorni, seeing the prompt for an answer, begins to speak, "We are going to Mos Eisley, to see Shmi, do you remember her? Mi-Mi?"

"Mi-Mi? See Mi-Mi?" Torin yawns out before crawling into Lorni's lap. "I'm sleepy, Mama."

"Yes, Little Love, we are going to see Mi-Mi. Now it's almost nap time."

Padmé interjects, "I can show Torin the bunking area? While you tell Anakin where Shmi lives."

Slightly skeptically but sensing no other option Lorni nods and concedes, "Thank you, Miss." Turning towards Torin, Lorni instructes softly with a gentle hand on his back, "Go with Miss Padmé and get ready for bed." Her son sluggishly trudges away with his hand tucked in Padmé's bigger one. After watching her son disappear into the ship, Lorni turns towards the young Jedi. "If I may, why do you want to see Shmi Skywalker-Lars? If you wish her harm—"

Anakin's head shot up off his chest quickly. "No! No, she is my mother, and I've been having dreams of her in pain. I just want to make sure she is okay."

Lorni looks closely at Anakin. "You are Anakin? Shmi's son? The one the Jedi took?"

"Yes, I am. I was a slave to Watto until I was nine. Then Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn came in and pulled strings to where I could gain my freedom."

"Then we need to be moving now," she tells Anakin, the way to the Lar's homestead were slightly complicated but quickly followed before Anakin places the ship on autopilot. Once they are in the air, Padmé walks back into the cockpit, she sits next to Anakin with a quiet smile for him, making his heart pick up just a little.

Interrupting the private moment, Lorni places her forehead in her hands and quietly lets out, "Since you are Shmi's son, there is something you should know…"

After explaining that Shmi was taken by Tusken Raiders weeks ago, Anakin fell into anger and despair. His dreams were right. His mother could be dying right now, and he had done nothing to help her. "Oh, kriff. Why didn't I come sooner?" Anakin cries, his head in his hands.

Padmé’s hands jerks in response to his cry, as if trying her best not to give comfort to the Jedi’s anguished pleas.

While Anakin tries to hide his eyes, Lorni sees her son in Anakin. The boy that he was and the boy her son is. The boys that they were denied to be because of the cruel life they had been given. Quickly standing, Lorni places her hands on the man’s shoulders, with a motherly touch, brings him into her arms. As he begins to shake with tears, she begins to whisper with her weary voice, “Do not lose your hope Anakin Skywalker, your mother might be gone for a moment, but I believe that Ar-Amu will smile upon us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that Shmi taught Anakin how to build and repair things, but Anakin's force abilities just expanded upon it so that's touched on in this chapter.
> 
> Any slave culture that you will probably recognize is most likely by fialleril on Tumblr but I didn’t do extensive research into the subject and currently making this up as I go along so if something in my own stories (i.e. names or traditions) don’t line up with fialleril’s then know that I’m taking bits and pieces of what I find and filling in any blanks with my own ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pulled up the script of Episode 2 online, and that is where the translations come from.

After a few hours and arriving at the homestead, Anakin, Padmé, Lorni, and Torin begin walking towards the small house in the sand. The protocol droid working greets them, “Oh, Miss Lorni and young Torin how delightful to see you again! And you have brought guests!”

“3PO?” Anakin asks.

The rusty droid stumbles for a minute before recognizing the other two humans. “The maker! Oh, Master Ani, I knew you would return. I knew it! And Miss Padmé. Oh, my.”

“Not to be rude,” Lorni interrupts, “but we are in a hurry. Can you could tell us where the Lars are?”

“Well, I never— Fine, I believe, Master Lars is inside. I will escort you in.”

“Thank you, 3PO,” Lorni breathes. Herding the others towards the house, she turns to Anakin and continues, “Let’s talk to Cleigg first, see what he knows, then we can make a plan.”

The padawan nods his head directing Padmé to the unfamiliar house. He feels his heart race, lungs trip on a breath, and hands tremble again. The Force is picking up similar to the beginnings of a Tatooinian sandstorm in response to his panic. He automatically falls back on the breathing exercises that Obi-Wan taught him as his brain catches up with him. He will do anything to rescue his mother, he _will_ rescue her, there was no other option. He _can’t_ lose her, he had very few things to ground himself and she was one, her love was something he can’t live without.

Reaching the dug in courtyard C3PO begins to call out to the man inside, “Master Owen, might I present two new visitors brought by Miss Lorni and Young Torin Ashenn.”

Walking forward Anakin introduces himself, “I’m Anakin Skywalker, and this is Padmé. I’m here to rescue my mother.”

“Owen, where is your father?” Lorni asks quickly, “He knows these deserts the most.”

From behind a gruff voice calls out, “Then we should go inside. We have a lot to talk about.” Turning around, they see an elder man in a hoverchair. Once he reaches the small group, he holds out his hand. “Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife.”

Entering the house, Lorni prompts Torin to the living room where she can watch him with his small wooden blocks from his kit and Beru heads to the kitchen for refreshments.

“It was just before dawn,” Cliegg starts, “They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders. Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks she was about halfway home when they took her,” his voice softening and his eyes glancing between Anakin and Padmé spoke of his regret as he continues, “Those Tuskens walk like men, but they’re vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I’d be out there with them but after I lost my leg, I just could ride anymore un-until I heal. I don’t want to give up on her, but she’s been gone a month, there’s little hope she’s lasted this long.”

Padmé and Lorni watch Anakin while Cliegg speak, the padawan’s emotions and thoughts clear across his face. Soon Anakin pushes his chair out and begins to walk away, the despair clear on his face. Before Anakin walks far, Lorni speaks up, “Shmi is strong. She’s lasted this long,” her voice is sure, daring anyone to contradict her, “Anakin and I are going to save her.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Cliegg denies, “Your son—”

“My son,” Lorni interrupts, “will be taken care of, but I have no intention of dying, Mr. Lars. I have too much to do, too many relying on me. My top priority is saving Shmi, which means now I need to coordinate a plan with Anakin.”

“I will watch Torin while you are gone,” Padmé volunteers, cutting the tension in the room, “I have taken care of my nieces before.”

“Thank you, Miss,” Lorni says with genuine gratitude.

“Please, call me Padmé.”

“Padmé then.”

“Lorni, take my landspeeder,” Beru offers, “It’s the fastest one here.”

“Thank you, Beru. Excuse me.” Lorni gets up from the table, glances at Torin one more time before following Anakin’s trail in the sand.

She spots his form in a few minutes as he walks. “Anakin!” He either doesn’t hear her or is ignoring her and if she was a betting woman, she’d place her credits on the last option. “Anakin Skywalker, you will stop right now if you want to save your mother!”

That catches his attention, forces him to stop, and turn around. “How?”

“It’s about to be nightfall,” Lorni points out, “and Beru said we could use her landspeeder, it’s pretty fast, according to her. If we are going to save Shmi, we better plan this rescue out.” Lorni takes a good look at the young man in front of her, from the messy blonde hair to the bags under his eyes, the ruffled robes to scuffed boots, and heart breaks just a bit. Oh, she knows this boy. He is full of love, curiosity, and passion. She knows because she has a boy of her own that acts and reacts so similar to Anakin.

Anakin takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and centers himself. He feels the wind rush through his hair, sand beneath his boots, sun heat his clothes and skin. He senses Padmé’s concern, the Lars’ sorrow, Torin’s confusion, and Lorni’s compassion.

He opens his eyes and releases his breath, Lorni places a hand on his shoulder and says, “Let Ar-Amu guide us.”

Anakin breaths again and feels the Force relax in tandem.


	3. Chapter 3

Arriving at the Tusken Village unseen was not a problem, locating Shmi was even easier. It was dark and cold, getting darker and colder be the minute, and the fire inside of the tents were giving away who or what was inside. “She has to be in that tent in the back,” Lorni says while pointing at the tent with guards around it, “They are guarding it, since it’s the most _valuable possession_.” Her voice turns as dark and cold as the night when she says it. “Hopefully when I distract them, the guards will scatter, so you can grab Shmi and bring her to the speeder. I’ll meet you where we parked it.”

Anakin nods his head at the plan, and Lorni takes off to set the charges he was able to make at the Lars’ homestead. His mind begins to race while waiting for his cue: _what if she was hurt, or not here, or if Cliegg was right and she was dea—_

A loud boom shakes him from his thoughts and he watches as the Tuskens panic, some run in circles, others grab various weapons, all screaming. They were too distracted to notice a tall, dark figure entering the tent that held their prisoner.

There she is, tied to a post, bleeding and bruised. Looking at his mother, Anakin feels anger well up in his chest but he pushes it down, instead falling to his knees in front his mother’s near unconscious form. She groans as he begins to untie her sweat-slicked leather bindings, and he tries to ignore the feeling of his heart beating out of his chest. As the last binding falls to the sand, Anakin brings his mother to his chest, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Ani? Ani, is that you?” Shmi asks as her eyes blink through the exhaustion and pain.

Holding her hand, Anakin swallows thickly as he tries to comfort her. “I’m here, Mom. You’re safe. I’ve brought help but we need to move. I’m sorry.”

“Oh Ani, you look so handsome,” she says deliriously, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Mom, I’ve missed you too, but I need to move you, okay?”

Her already quiet voice tapers off as her eyes grow distant, “Now, I’m complete. I love y—"

Feeling the life drain from his mother’s body, Anakin never hated being Force-sensitive more than right then. He had felt things and people die before, but never, _never_ , like this. This experience was horrible, painful, and left him feeling hollow and empty. The Force was full of misery and pain, echoing Anakin’s very own soul. His eyes fill with tears, his mother’s blood on his skin burn, and his heart break and fall into the depths of sand beneath him.

The rustling of the tent flaps forces Anakin to grab his lightsaber. The saber bathes Lorni’s concerned expression in blue light. “Anakin, what’s happening?” Glancing into his arms, her face twists into shock and grief, her rough voice takes on a hysterical tone as she falls to her knees, “No… no, this can’t be happening.”

The tears spill down his cheeks. “She’s gone.”

“No!” Lorni denies again. Her hands fliter from Shmi’s neck to her wrists, where pulses can be found. “This can’t be- She can’t be gone; I refuse to accept it!”

Her scared hands trail over his mother once more as Anakin feels the Force shift. Instead of uncertainty he feels confidence, instead of dread he feels hope. The pain remains, for change does come with a cost. The light replacing dark. Love replacing hate.

“She is breathing!” Lorni yells with glee, “I’ve got a pulse!” His heart stops, then jump starts as he processes what she said.

_She’s alive!_

Wrapping Shmi in the blanket underneath her, Lorni says, “I don’t know how much longer we have before the Tuskens regroup and come back. I’ve set the last charge to go off in a few minutes, we should leave after it goes off.” Lorni forces Anakin to let his mother go and gathers Shmi’s frail form into her arms. “You have the weapon, and we need to get the homestead as quickly as possible,” she pauses, looks him in the eyes and says, “Shmi is more important than the justice we could take ourselves tonight.”

The explosive brightens the camp, and the former and current slaves leave the tent.

* * *

Elsewhere Jedi Grandmaster Yoda meditates and the Force allows him to hear the voice of his late grand-padawan.

_The strength of mercy is in love and hope, Anakin._

Jedi Master Mace Windu enters Grandmaster Yoda’s chambers, drawing the elder from his meditation. “What is it?”

When the human sits, Yoda ponders the information the Force has gifted him. “Grief, pain, yet hope and love, I feel. Something miraculous has happened. Young Skywalker is in pain, terrible pain, yet hopeful, he remains.”


End file.
